If the pleura become inflamed, they can rub against each other, causing an adventitious breath sound. They cover the outside of the lungs and the inside of the chest wall. The pleura are protective, cushioning layers of tissue. Unlike wheezes, stridor occurs during inspiration and is only in the upper airways. Usually, an airflow blockage in the windpipe or the back of the throat causes this sound. Like rhonchi, this sound can happen as someone breathes out or breathes in and out, but it never occurs just when someone breathes in. Air movement through constricted narrow airways causes wheezes. This sound can occur in expiration, or both inspiration and expiration, but never solely in inspiration. They happen when something blocks the airways or when airflow becomes turbulent as it passes through the large airways. For example, smaller airways produce higher-pitched, fine crackles. The difference between these comes from the size of the airway opening. Doctors can usually hear crackles as someone inhales.ĭoctors may classify crackles as coarse or fine. Crackles happen when a person breathes in and the small airways open. In rare cases, surgery may be needed if bronchoscopy can't remove the blockage.The types of adventitious breath sound include: CracklesĬrackles are slight bubbling, clicking, or rattling sounds in the lungs.

Foreign body in bronchus requires removal by bronchoscopy.

Pulmonary edema often occurs secondary to some other conditions like heart failure, and treatment is focused on the primary condition resulting in pulmonary edema.

Severe asthma may require treatment with other drugs like corticosteroids.

Asthma requires treatment with bronchodilators (as inhalers).

Infectious diseases like pneumonia and bronchitis require a course of antibiotics for complete resolution of symptoms.

Treatment would depend upon the disease condition causing this symptom. Treatment of Crackling Sound While Breathing Crackling sounds while breathing might also be there if distal lungs start collapsing (atelectasis).

Foreign Body in Bronchus: Partial blocking of a bronchus can result in chest rattle on exhale.

Shortness of breath (which worsens in lying down position) is usually present. Congestive heart failure is one of the most important causes of pulmonary edema.

Pulmonary Edema: Collection of watery fluid in the lungs is referred to as pulmonary edema.

Crackling sound while breathing might be the only symptom in some people having a less severe form of pneumonia called 'walking pneumonia'. Often, other symptoms of pneumonia like fever, cough, chills, shortness of breath, etc.

Pneumonia: It is inflammation of the lungs caused by an infection bacteria (commonly), virus or fungi.

Asthma: Narrowing of the air-carrying passages of the lungs results in shortness of breath, coughing and feeling of chest tightness.

Acute bronchitis might have crackling sounds while breathing even after resolution of the other symptoms of bronchitis. Bronchitis: Inflammation of the lining of bronchi (the air-carrying passages from the trachea to the lungs) may be acute (new onset bronchitis) or chronic (repeated and long lasting bronchitis).Some of the most common causes of crackling sound are bronchitis, asthma, pulmonary edema, pneumonia and foreign body in bronchus. Depending upon the cause, the crackling sound may occur in isolation or it might be associated with the other respiratory symptoms.Ĭauses of Crackling Sound While Breathing The affected person may also experience a sensation of chest rattle while exhaling. without a stethoscope) warrants proper evaluation and treatment because of high risk of having a serious underlying disease condition.

Crackling sound while breathing that is audible to naked ears (i.e. Crackling sounds while breathing are suggestive of some conditions in the lower respiratory tract (lungs, bronchi and trachea).

Lung crackles sound